By Wasita Royal
In a major humanitarian effort, defense forces from Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand have launched a joint medical mission to deliver essential health services to remote communities in East New Britain Province.
The mission, part of the Medical Civic Assistance Program (Medcap), shows the changing role of military institutions into partners for community development and international cooperation.
This deployment marks the program’s expansion into its 13 different provinces in the country. Teams of about eight to nine medical specialists are using helicopters to reach isolated areas, having already conducted clinics in Open Bay, Marunga and Guma.
The mission will next be inspected by their superiors in the community of Molot in the Duke of York Islands on the 24th of this month.
Chief of Personnel Colonel Rodney Yahamani expressed that the program is to serve. He said this during a briefing at Rapopo earlier this week.
“The primary purpose of the Medcap is simply to serve,” he said.
“We are not only a military force defending our nation, but an institution of service, built on trust and partnership with the people we protect.”
Beyond immediate medical care, the program aims to strengthen community health awareness and establish a framework for rapid response during future crises or disease outbreaks.
“When Papua New Guinea Defence Force works closely with provincial health authorities, district clinics, and community volunteers, we become more effective not just during exercises, but during real emergencies,” Colonel Yahamani stressed.
The collaboration shows solidarity amongst the participating nations as well as the locals in the area.
